Research and Markets: Community Banking Model Particularly Suited to Australian Market Where Country's Geography Ensures Long Distances Between Bank Branches.

M2 PRESSWIRE-9 June 2005-Research and Markets: Research and Markets: Community Banking Model Particularly Suited to Australian Market Where Country's Geography Ensures Long Distances Between Bank Branches(C)1994-2005 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:09062005

Dublin - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c18901) has announced the addition of Best Practice in Branch-based Banking - Asia Pacific to their offering

This report begins by considering the changing fortunes of the branch in the Asia Pacific banking landscape. It then considers examples of best practice in areas such as franchising, community banking, branches for premier banking customers, branch redesign and branch relocation. The final chapter of the report examines ways banks can continue to use their branches most effectively.

This report examines examples of best practice from key Asia Pacific markets including Australia, Singapore, Japan and Thailand and presents supporting examples from Europe including Halifax and Abbey. It considers strategies being employed by leading banks in Asia Pacific including Bank of Queensland, Bendigo Bank, Westpac, OCBC and Shinsei Bank.

Bank of Queensland's Owner Managed Branches have a very definite raison d'tre namely the provision of old fashioned customer service in a sales driven environment where managers are rewarded not only for the quantity of business gained but also the quality.

It is believed that the community banking model is viable in all markets where there has been branch rationalization. However, it believes that it is particularly suited to the Australian market where the country's geography ensures long distances between bank branches. Mini-branches are appealing because they enable a bank to maintain an extensive high-street presence at minimum staffing cost. Mini-branches can also be positioned in high-traffic locations, maximizing footfall, and can be aimed at tech savvy consumers.

With this report the reader can learn from banks that are utilizing their branch networks most effectively and access actionable recommendations for branch strategy managers. The report helps you discover ways to improve the way you serve customers in the branch thus maximizing sales potential.

Topics covered in this report include:

- The demise of the branch- The rationalization of branch networks- The embrace of the Internet- The emergence of the Internet-only bank- The rebirth of the branch- Accounting for the rebirth of the bank branch- Branch rationalization has slowed or has been reversed- Those that wrote the branch off ignored its strengths- Banks are migrating routine transactions to less expensive channels- Franchising- Best practice: Bank of Queensland has used franchising to aggressively expand its Australian footprint- Community banking- Best practice: Bendigo Bank has grown its branch network by involving communities- Branches for specific consumer segments- Best practice: Singapore boasts an extensive network of branches for premier banking customers- Best practice: Lloyds TSB has used its branch network to target the lucrative NRI segment- Branch design- Banks have until recently underestimated the importance of branch design- Best practice: Shinsei Bank has acquired a good reputation in branch-based banking- Best practice: Branch zoning has been used by a number of banks to better serve customers- Branch accessibility- Branch accessibility is key in todays time pressured society- Best practice: Westpac is considering Sunday opening to make its branches more accessible- The Future of the Branch

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c18901

CONTACT: Laura Wood, Senior Manager, Research and MarketsFax: +353 1 4100 980e-mail: press@researchandmarkets.com

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